The Specht Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania

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The Spechts of Smethport are of pure German lineage, descending from a long line of ancestors native to that land.

(I) Eingenhaus Specht

Eingenhaus Specht was born in Germany, 1758, died there, 1831. He was a cabinetmaker and spent his entire life in the town of Deuderstadt. He married, when he was sixty years of age, Hannah Louisa Halmir, who died aged fifty-eight years. Both were members of the Roman Catholic church. Children:

  1. William Specht. Of whom further.
  2. Theresa Specht. Born 1827, died in Germany.

Hannah Louisa Specht married (second) Jacob Sasse. Child:

  1. Carl Sasse.

(II) William Specht

William, only son of Eingenhaus and Hannah Louisa (Halmir) Specht, was born in Deuderstadt, Kingdom of Hanover, Prussia, Germany, September 12, 1825. He received a good education in the public school, and in 1851 came to the United States settling in Smethport, Pennsylvania, where he worked at cabinetmaking, then established and still conducts a large, successful furniture and undertaking business, under the firm name of Specht & Sasse, his partner being his half-brother, Carl Sasse. He is a Republican in politics and for two terms served as borough councilman. He married, December 3, 1854, Elizabeth Heinemann, born in Deuderstadt, 1827, died in Smethport, aged fifty-four years. She was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. She was the daughter of John Heinemann, born and died in Deuderstadt and at one time held the position of overseer of the jail. His wife was a Miss Autler, born in Deuderstadt, came to the United States in 1851, died in Smethport, Pennsylvania.

Their children, all born in Deuderstadt:

  1. John Heinemann. A machinist, died in Germany, unmarried.
  2. Catherine Heinemann. Died in Smethport, unmarried.
  3. Louisa Heinemann. Died on the farm at Potato Creek, McKean county; married Robert Marsh, born in England, a farmer of McKean county; children:Stephen and William Marsh were both farmers of McKean county.
    1. Stephen Marsh.
    2. William Marsh.
    3. Daughters Marsh.
  4. Elizabeth Heinemann. Of previous mention, wife of William Specht.

Children of William and Elizabeth Specht:

  1. Carrie Specht. Born in Smethport, April 9, 1856, died there December 23, 1886; she married Franklin Corwin.
  2. William Frederick Specht. Of whom further.

(III) William Frederick Specht

William Frederick, only son of William and Elizabeth (Heinemann) Specht, was born in Smethport, October 15, 1857. He was educated in the public schools, continuing school attendance until he was sixteen years of age. He then secured a position in the drug store of Armstrong, Rogers & Company, also learning telegraphy under the instruction of M. L. Armstrong. In 1875 he entered the employ of Western New York and Pennsylvania railroad, a branch of the Pennsylvania railroad system, as exchange man, filling temporarily vacant positions along the line. In 1876 he entered the employ of Hamlin & Townsend at Clermont, Pennsylvania. In 1877 he was located in Bradford as assistant in a flour, feed and coal business. There he was stricken with typhoid, and as a result was compelled to remain idle until January 1, 1878. He then entered the grocery and drug store of Hamlin & Sartwell at Eldred, Pennsylvania, remaining until their store was destroyed by fire in October, 1878. In 1879 he returned to Smethport and entered the employ of Haskell & Gifford, general merchants. When Mr. Gifford sold out his interest and retired from the firm, Mr. Specht became manager of the store, continuing until 1881, when it was also destroyed by fire. In 1892, after becoming familiar with the insurance business with Haskell & Burdick, Mr. Specht having secured agencies from several companies, opened an office for the transaction of general insurance business. He has been very successful and has one of the largest underwriting agencies in the borough. For twenty years he was deputy prothonotary of McKean county, serving as such under four prothonotaries, regardless of politics, only resigning the position on account of the pressing demands of his growing insurance business.

He is a Republican in politics, served four years as councilman, one year as chief burgess, and school director many years. He is prominent in the Masonic order; is past master of McKean Lodge, No. 388, Free and Accepted Masons, and the present secretary; member of Bradford Chapter, No. 260, Royal Arch Masons; Bradford Council, Royal and Select Masters; Trinity Commandery, No. 58, Knights Templar; Zem Zem Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and a thirty-second degree Mason of Coudersport Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. He is also past master of Select Knights, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Smethport Lodge, No. 182. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian, member of St. Luke’s Parish of Smethport.

He married, May 15, 1889, Adelaide Octavia Brownell, born in Smethport, October 10, 1864, daughter of William Shaw Brownell (see Brownell VI). Children:

  1. Frederick Specht. Born in Smethport, July 15, 1890, now a senior at State College, Pennsylvania.
  2. Edna Specht. Born in Smethport, May 21, 1893, now a student at Rochester Mechanic Institute.

The Brownell Line

(I) Thomas Brownell

The emigrant ancestor of all of the name Brownell in the United States, claiming New England ancestry, was Thomas Brownell, of Derbyshire, England, born about 1619, died 1665. He was living at Aquidneck, Rhode Island, now Portsmouth, in 1647, where he had a farm and lived until his death. He was made freeman in 1655, was deputy to the general assembly, 1655-61-62-63. He married, about 1638, Ann. Children:

  1. Mary Brownell. Born 1639, married Robert Hazard.
  2. Sarah Brownell. Died September 6, 1676, married Gideon Freeborn.
  3. Martha Brownell. Born May, 1643, married (first) Jeremiah Wait, (second) Charles Dyer, son of Mary Dyer, the Quakeress who was hanged on Boston Common, June 1, 1660.
  4. George Brownell. Born 1646, married Susanna Pearce.
  5. William Brownell. Born 1648, married Sarah Smiton.
  6. Thomas Brownell. Of whom further.
  7. Robert Brownell. Born 1652, married Mary.
  8. Ann Brownell. Born 1654, married Joseph Wilbur.

(II) Thomas (2) Brownell

Thomas (2), son of Thomas (1) Brownell, was born 1650, died May 18, 1732. He married, 1678, Mary, born May 6, 1654, died May 4, 1736, daughter of Richard and Susanna (Wright) Pearce. Children:

  1. Thomas Brownell. Born February 16, 1679, married Mary Crandall.
  2. John Brownell. Born February 21, 1682, married Mary Case.
  3. George Brownell. Born January 19, 1685, married Mary Thurston.
  4. Jeremiah Brownell. Born October 10, 1689, married Deborah Burgess.
  5. Mary Brownell. Born March 22, 1692, married E. Carr.
  6. Charles Brownell. Of whom further.

(III) Charles Brownell

Charles, son of Thomas (2) Brownell, was born December 23, 1694, died February, 1774. He married (first) July 6, 1717, Mary, born January 4, 1696, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Brownell) Wilbur. He married (second) Mary Wood. Children of Charles Brownell, the first five by Mary Wilbur and the sixth by Mary Wood:

  1. Samuel Brownell. Born October 12, 1719, died 1780.
  2. James Brownell. Born May 30, 1722, died December 29, 1736.
  3. Mary Brownell. Born November, 1724.
  4. Ruth Brownell. Born December 29, 1727.
  5. Phoebe Brownell. Born September 22, 1730.
  6. Charles Brownell. Of whom further.

(IV) Charles (2) Brownell

Charles (2), only son of Charles (1) and his second wife, Mary (Wood) Brownell, was born April 13, 1745. He married, February 22, 1770, Content Shaw, and moved from Rhode Island to Trenton, Oneida county, New York, where he died. She was a daughter of Israel and Sarah (Wilbur) Shaw. Children:

  1. Thomas Brownell. Born January 2, 1771, married Milly Grey.
  2. Phoebe Brownell. Born December 13, 1772, married Peter Garrett.
  3. Jedediah Brownell. Of whom further.
  4. Elizabeth Brownell. Born March 8, 1776.
  5. Aaron Brownell. January 27, 1778.
  6. Ephraim Brownell. March 27, 1779.
  7. Priscilla Brownell. June 4, 1783.
  8. Borden Brownell. December 18, 1787.
  9. Charles Brownell. November 18, 1789.
  10. Isabel Brownell.

Either Isabel Brownell or her sister Priscilla Brownell married John Hicks.

(V) Jedediah Brownell

Jedediah, son of Charles (2) Brownell, was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, October 11, 1774, died in Trenton, New York, February 20, 1847. He married, August 5, 1803, Emma Williams, born February 6, 1782, died September 6, 1872. Children:

  1. Jedediah Brownell. Born August 25, 1811, died November 9, 1834.
  2. Eunice Brownell. Born October 19, 1813, died October, 1815.
  3. Mary Porter Brownell. Born September 23, 1815, married Rasselas Brown.
  4. William Shaw Brownell. Of whom further.

(VI) William Shaw Brownell

William Shaw, youngest son of Jedediah Brownell, was born in Trenton, Oneida county, New York, October 27, 1818, died in Smethport, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1900. In 1838 he moved to Elk county, Pennsylvania, and began clearing a farm in Jones township, later moving to Sergeant township, McKean county, where he taught school for some time at Bunker Hill. Shortly after his marriage in 1852 he moved to Alden, Henry county, Illinois, where he bought a farm and remained four years. He then returned to Elk county, locating at Ridgway. In 1857 he moved to Smethport, where he bought out a mercantile business and established a store in the old Brownell homestead on State street. Later he moved to a store on Main street. He was twice elected associate judge of McKean county, serving ten years. He was a member of the Masonic order, and at the time of his death was one of the oldest Free Masons in the county.

He married, in Clermont, McKean county, Pennsylvania, August 22, 1852, Octavia C. Howard, born in Adams, Jefferson county, New York, October 13, 1822, died in Smethport, November 21, 1882, daughter of Eliphalet Morgan and Patty (Hinds) Howard. Children:

  1. Fitz William Brownell. Born in Alden, Henry county, Illinois, May 1, 1853, died in Smethport, January 7, 1863.
  2. Mary Albina Brownell. Born in Alden, November 13, 1854, died in Chemung, Illinois, September 25, 1856.
  3. George Raleigh Brownell. Born in Smethport, October 8, 1857, died there December 16, 1904.
  4. Fred William Brownell. Born in Smethport, November 20, 1859, now cashier in the Grange National Bank of Smethport; married Hester Adelaide Foote.
  5. Adelaide Octavia Brownell. Of previous mention, wife of William Frederick Specht.

See: Genealogy of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content

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